Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been implicated as a potential trigger of hepatic steatosis although molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HBV-associated hepatic steatosis still remain elusive. Our prior work has revealed that the expression level of liver fatty acid binding protein 1 (FABP1), a key regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism, was elevated in HBV-producing hepatoma cells. In this study, the effects of HBV X protein (HBx) mediated FABP1 regulation on hepatic steatosis and the underlying mechanism were determined. mRNA and protein levels of FABP1 were measured by quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting. HBx-mediated FABP1 regulation was evaluated by luciferase assay, coimmunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Hepatic lipid accumulation was measured by using Oil-Red-O staining and the triglyceride level. It was found that expression of FABP1 was increased in HBV-producing hepatoma cells, the sera of HBV-infected patients, and the sera and liver tissues of HBV-transgenic mice. IMPORTANCEAccumulating evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies has indicated that chronic HBV infection is associated with hepatic steatosis. However, the molecular mechanism underlying HBV-induced pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis still remains to be elucidated. In this study, we found that expression of liver fatty acid binding protein (FABP1) was dramatically increased in the sera of HBV-infected patients and in both sera and liver tissues of HBV-transgenic mice. Forced expression of HBx led to FABP1 upregulation, whereas knockdown of FABP1 remarkably diminished lipid accumulation in both in vitro and in vivo models. It is possible that HBx promotes hepatic lipid accumulation through upregulating FABP1 in the development of HBV-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, inhibition of FABP1 might have therapeutic value in steatosis-associated chronic HBV infection. H epatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problemworldwide, causing acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (1). Emerging evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies suggests that chronic HBV infection, as well as HCV infection, is associated with hepatic steatosis (2, 3). The frequency of hepatic steatosis in subjects with a chronic HBV infection ranges from 27 to 51% (4). Furthermore, HBV X protein (HBx) is known to cause hepatic lipid deposition by inhibiting the secretion of apolipoprotein B (5). A previous report showed that the increased HBx expression can cause lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, likely mediated by sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ␥ (PPAR␥) (4). The molecular mechanism by which HBV induces the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis remains elusive. Using fluorescent two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry analysis, we found that the protein level of liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP ...

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Hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) has been implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis through several mechanisms. Resistance of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected hepatocytes to apoptosis is considered one of the major contributors to the progression of chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis and ultimately to hepatocellular carcinoma. The Fas receptor/ligand (Fas/FasL) system plays a prominent role in hepatocyte death during HBV infection. Here we report that HBc mediates resistance of hepatoma cells to agonistic anti-Fas antibody (CH11)-induced apoptosis. When HBc was introduced into human hepatoma cells, the cells became resistant to CH11 cytotoxicity in a p53-dependent manner. HBc significantly down-regulated the expression of p53, total Fas, and membrane-bound Fas at the mRNA and protein levels and reduced FasL mRNA expression. In contrast, HBc up-regulated the expression of soluble forms of Fas by increasing Fas alternative mRNA splicing. Mechanistically, HBc-mediated Fas alternative mRNA splicing was associated with up-regulation of polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 and down-regulation of Fas-activated serine/threonine kinase. These results indicated that HBc may prevent hepatocytes from Fas-induced apoptosis by the dual effects of reducing the expression of the proapoptotic form of Fas and enhancing the expression of the antiapoptotic form of the receptor, which may contribute to the survival and persistence of infected hepatocytes during chronic infection.

We investigated the possible association between genetic variants in the Patatin like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a Han Chinese population. We evaluated twelve tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) of the PNPLA3 gene in a frequency matched case–control study from Fuzhou city of China (553 cases, 553 controls). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the rs738409 GG or GC, and rs139051 TT genotypes were found to be associated with increased risk of NAFLD, and a significant trend of increased risk with increasing numbers of risk genotype was observed in the cumulative effect analysis of these single nucleotide polymorphisms. Furthermore, haplotype association analysis showed that, compared with the most common haplotype, the CAAGAATGCGTG and CGAAGGTGTCCG haplotypes conferred a statistically significant increased risk for NAFLD, while the CGGGAACCCGCG haplotype decreased the risk of NAFLD. Moreover, rs738409 C>G appeared to have a multiplicative joint effect with tea drinking (P<0.005) and an additive joint effect with obesity (Interaction contrast ratio (ICR) = 2.31, 95% CI: 0.7–8.86), hypertriglyceridemia (ICR = 3.07, 95% CI: 0.98–5.09) or hypertension (ICR = 1.74, 95% CI: 0.52–3.12). Our data suggests that PNPLA3 genetic polymorphisms might influence the susceptibility to NAFLD development independently or jointly in Han Chinese.

Banana Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is soil-borne disease of banana (Musa spp.) causing significant economic losses. Extensins and arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are cell wall components important for pathogen defence. Their significance for Foc resistance in banana was not reported so far. In this study, two banana cultivars differing in Foc sensitivity were used to monitor the changes in transcript levels, abundance and distribution of extensins and AGPs after wounding and Foc inoculation. Extensins mainly appeared in the root cap and meristematic cells. AGPs recognized by JIM13, JIM8, PN16.4B4 and CCRC-M134 antibodies located in root hairs, xylem and root cap. Individual AGPs and extensins showed specific radial distribution in banana roots. At the transcript level, seven extensins and 23 AGPs were differentially expressed between two banana cultivars before and after treatments. Two extensins and five AGPs responded to the treatments at the protein level. Most extensins and AGPs were up-regulated by wounding and pathogen inoculation of intact plants but down-regulated by pathogen attack of wounded plants. Main components responsible for the resistance of banana were MaELP-2 and MaPELP-2. Our data revealed that AGPs and extensins represent dynamic cell wall components involved in wounding and Foc resistance.